Faves on 4s:
4% - Though she was only three years my senior, Mona had a way of standing that made me feel like she was my mother. A hand on her hip and a slouch in one leg.
34% - 'What are you afraid of? Whatever it is, you can tell me.' I shook my head. There was a weighty pause. 'Why are you afraid of happiness?'
54% - Turns out my determination to repel men for the last two years hadn't led to the best shopping choices.
84% - 'Esther, I'm going to say something and you're probably not going to like it.'
Yep, there it was.
94% - 'I stand by my previous assessment,' I said. 'You are a bloody idiot.'

Ramble: The "Faves on 4s" section was harder this time than most as every time a _4% rolled around I found something that was just oh-so-perfect to share! As it is, it was my main reason for reading the Kindle version I received from NetGalley instead of the epub. My epub reader does pages and not percents and that would have just been way harder to dwindle down to just a handful.

I'm guessing that you've already figured out that I quite love this book. I want to pull up to the counter and order a milkshake. I want to play The Chordettes on the jukebox repeatedly (I have a remix of "Lollipop" as the ringtone on my phone, in fact). I want to help Walt with his crosswords and have Lu whip me up some pancakes and sausage. I want Mona to give me the maternal looks and advice. I want The Starlight Diner to be real.

Esther is a waitress at The Starlight Diner, having arrived in the States just over a year ago. She's from London but left in hopes of being able to pretty much disappear and escape her past. Not being able to let go of her past, though, keeps her from fully embracing her present and possible future. This is all fine and dandy with her until Jack enters the diner and her life. He's also from London and also has things he seems to want to keep hidden. Will they be able to be honest and open with each other and move on together?

It's a rough and rocky road. Jack is an actor with a hot new movie out and another in the works. This, of course, makes him perfect fodder for sleazy "journalists" who love to uncover dirt on the popular -- and on anyone close to them. It's a heartbreaking mess and you end up wanting to drown your sorrows (well, Esther's sorrows) in the biggest milkshake you can find.

Hmmmm.... I guess that's where the title comes in to play, huh?

Although this falls under the whole "Chick Lit" genre where everyone who deserves one gets a happy ending, I still wondered over and over again whether this would be the case for Esther and Jack. And, with so many secrets, was a happy ending even deserved?

How it all plays out is truly magnificent to behold. I know I say that about an awful lot of books but, what can I say? I have remarkably good taste.

Helen Cox is a gem and I'm thrilled that Milkshakes & Heartbreaks is the first in a series. I'm so excited about seeing what comes next and, luckily, I'll have Starlight Diner shorts to get me through the wait! I'm even hoping to be able to get my hands on her non-fiction works (besides her blog -- which is amazing). After all, anyone who loves Grease 2 and can make me cry and snort-laugh in the same minute has to be all around spectacular, right?